O diabo - Uma biografia

by Philip C. Almond

Na condição de história secular da ideia do Diabo, esta obra é uma daquelas que só poderia ter sido pensada e escrita após meados do século XVIII. Porém, ela também é sensível para a profundidade e amplitude da história cristã de salvação, no âmbito da qual Satanás viveu, se moveu e teve sua existência. É de se esperar que esta nova biografia do Diabo de alguma maneira contribua para reconduzi-lo ao lugar central que ele ocupou na história intelectual ocidental durante a maior parte dos últimos dois mil anos e para o reconhecimento do papel crucial que ele teve e continua desempenhando na história de todos nós.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, History, Theology, Occult, Christianity, 21st Century

Paperback

First published March 30, 2014

Reviews

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rozkoszny i niebezpieczny, fascynujący i przerażający, znany i obcy – Diabeł w pracy Philipa C. Almonda miewa różnorodne oblicza, ale autor podkreśla, że jego znaczenia dla kultury Zachodu nie można ignorować. W „Diabeł. Nowa biografia” czytelnik znajdzie liczne odniesienie historyczne, literackie, teologiczne, zaznajomi się z dziesiątkami tytułów diabelskich monografii oraz innymi dziełami, które poruszają tę tematykę. To nie jest łatwa lektura, niemniej stanowi intrygujące dopełnienie dla wszystkich, których interesuje idea Diabła w kulturze, przemiana, jakiej dostąpił przez wszystkie wieki swojego istnienia oraz jego znaczenie w popularnym dyskursie przyszłości.

„Niniejsza książka jest próba uświadomienia współczesnym czytelnikom, że od zarania naszych dziejów aż po dziś historii ludzkości nie da się opowiedzieć, a życia ludzkiego nie można było przeżyć w oderwaniu od historii Diabła. Świadomość ta pozwoli nam zarazem zrozumieć, że przez ostatnie dwa tysiące lat walka dobra ze złem, tocząca się w sercach i umysłach ludzi, była jedynie odzwierciedleniem kosmicznej walki Boga z Szatanem – tego, co boskie, z tym, co diabelskie – która stworzyła całą naszą historię.”

Fascynująca książka dla koneserów tematu.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Philip C. Almond offers in The Devil: A New Biography is

“a new ‘life’ of the Devil, one that locates his life within the broader Christian story which it is inextricably a part.”

Almond’s biography gives the reader a secular history of Old Nick and as such it is written from a non-believer’s perspective, but this isn’t to suggest it is hostile to its subject matter. Often when secularists have written of Faith, any Faith, there is a sense of hostility overtly presented, or it is very near the surface. Not so with Philip Almond’s The Devil. If the author isn’t, precisely, sympathetic to the belief system then he is at minimum articulate and non-judgement.

The author’s ‘biography’ charts the Devil from its earliest manifestations through Judaic, Biblical, and extra-Biblical traditions [theological, cultural, and philosophic]. Even those raised within the Christian tradition will find something here. Primarily, nonetheless, this is a history for those who were raised in a secular environment. The reason secularists would find this text particularly useful is that much of the Western cultural traditions are bound up with Christianity and the Devil is a major feature of the Faith. Therefore, if you wish to understand the Dark Ages, Medieval, Renaissance, and Early Modern Europe it will be necessary, essential, to know of the tradition[s] of the Devil.

This book fills the vacancy left by strident secularism and the prissy New Atheists.

Stylistically, it is breezy and jargon free. Because of this the reader needn’t spend much time with anything but the text proper.

Highly Recommended for readers of European cultural/religious history and Colonial/Post-Colonial histories. Readers of mythology will also find a great deal to recommend itself here as well.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

[Titus Hjelm · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subtitle of The Devil promises a ‘new biography’ (possibly an allusion to Henry Ansgar Kelly’s Satan: A Biography, CUP, 2006), although the book never quite explicitly argues what exactly makes it novel. Indeed, it is more of an attempt to straddle that elusive ground between the scholarly and the popular, and as such offers few new insights to those familiar with the field. The Devil tries to do a lot—perhaps too much—in the short space it has. It offers a condensed intellectual history (with an emphasis on elite theology, and little about social history) which can work well for the academically inclined lay reader. The book’s problem is that it is too dense for the casual reader, and too indistinctive for the scholar.

[Lala · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was one of those rare books that I dreaded finishing because of how interesting it was. I have a fascination with history and Mythology, and Philip C. Almond explained the entire history of the devil, from the strange to the downright horrifying, in an objective, informative and educational manner. Highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the history of Satan, but doesn't want Christian biases or faith to play a role in the text!

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is not really a “biography” rather it is about the history of thought about the Devil from the beginning of Christianity until about two hundred fifty years ago when according to the author he became much less important in Western culture.

While, I learned a lot from this book it not the easiest book to read. It is intended to be a scholarly book and it is put out by an academic publishing company. Some of the West’s greatest theologians, religious leaders and philosophers tried to understand the nature of the Devil. Also in Demonology as any other aspect of study there are contrasting points of views. An example of a belief that has been of subject of controversy in Demonology is whether than Devil is purely spiritual or whether he has a corporal existence.

However, until I read this book I really had no idea of whom the Devil was. Of course, I knew he was a supernatural force of evil and I read about him in literature. I played the Devil in school in play The Devil and Daniel Webster but I did not know about his origins. I was raised in a very liberal Reform Jewish environment where I was told that Jews did not believe in angels, demons/Satan and miracles.

According to this book, the Devil/Satan/Lucifer was an angel who turned against God. Before the world and humans were created God and Angels existed. Lucifer/Satan turned against God of his own free will and choice evil. About a third of the angels sided with Satan. These angels became demons. There was some controversy in early Christianity whether the Devil could ever repent but most demonologists seem to think this was not possible. Demons floated throughout the air and could possess humans.

Many Christians thought the serpent who tempted Eve was Satan in the Old Testament. The book describes Satan’s role in the New Testament much of which I did not understand since I am not that familiar with the New Testament since I am not Christian. However, I learn that Christians believed that during Christ’s second coming Satan and his followers will be sent forever to hell.

Nowadays when people speak of “demonizing” one’s political opponents it is usually meant as a metaphor and not meant to be taken at face value. However, the early Christians felt that Devil working through opponents of Christianity and this where the idea of "demonizing" the opposition started.

Magic slowly becomes connected to Satan. St. Augustine believed that all magic was the work of the Devil. If my understanding of the book is correct Thomas Aquinas and some later Christians said the Devil was only involved in magic if Satan was called to assist with the magic being performed.

Satan worshiping starts developing in about the twelve century. Then the book describes how witches were understood by the Catholics and later by the Protestants. Witches originally could either be male or female but in time were seen as mostly female. Witches were believed to have made a pact with Satan and renounced Christianity as part of their agreement with Satan. Witches were believed to kill children and then smear the children’s fat onto an object so they could fly.
The Devil was believed to have had sex with the witches. There are some pretty hot sex scenes described between the Devil and the Witches. There was controversy on whether the Devil could have sex with men. Early Demonologists felt that since the Devil was a fallen angel he still possessed some angelic traits. Therefore, he would not want to commit sodomy (i.e. anal and non-reproductive sex). However, later Demonologists disagreed and felt the Devil could be bisexual.
Again there was various controversies about Witches and their nature. When the Reformation came to Europe there were Protestants and Catholics have differing ideas about how to handle both Witches and persons who were possessed by the Devil.

Even though most Protestants at the start of the Reformation believed in the Devil, the Reformation contributed to an intellectual climate where the belief in Devil could be challenged. Many Protestants believed miracles stopped happening after the year 300(this belief in part was to undercut the authority of the miracles of the Catholic Church). With this questioning of miracles and a stronger belief in science major thinkers such and Spinoza and Hume started to question the existence of the Devil.

I was a bit disappointed that the book stopped at 1700 because I was left with many questions about what happened to the Devil after that time. How did Witches become acceptable in children’s stories? The early description of Witches seem to me to be for only for Adults. How did “magic” become acceptable as children’s entertainment?
Also the author left me the impression that Devil was like the Greek or Roman Gods; no one believes in him now. I don’t think this is true. The Devil has standing in some Christian Churches and in Boston I know there are some Devil worshiping societies. I wished the author could give some kind of roundup of the Devil’s present standing in the world.

Thus, I the book The Devil: A New Biography has some highly interesting materials it is an academic book and not a light or easy read.

[Justyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coś zupełnie innego, niż się spodziewałam. Szkoda

[Carla Parreira]

Melhores trechos: "...O Diabo é o inimigo mais implacável de Deus e escapa ao seu controle, como consequência de ter recebido de Deus a liberdade de rebelar-se contra Ele. Contudo, ele também é servo fiel de Deus, agindo somente por ordem de Deus ou, pelo menos, com seu consentimento. O Diabo, literal e metaforicamente, personifica o paradoxo no coração do teísmo cristão. Pois, de um lado, na medida em que o Diabo é inimigo implacável de Deus e escapa ao seu controle, a responsabilidade pelo mal pode ser posta no Diabo. O amor de Deus está assegurado, ainda que ao preço de não ser mais onipotente. Por outro lado, na medida em que o Diabo é servo de Deus e executor de sua vontade, a responsabilidade pelo mal que o Diabo faz é de Deus. A onipotência de Deus está assegurada, mas às custas do seu amor. Esse 'paradoxo demoníaco' do Diabo como executor da vontade de Deus e como seu inimigo se encontra no centro da narrativa cristã... Para Agostinho, a questão deveria ser se os anjos eram uma espécie de seres que tinham corpos e, por essa razão, poderiam fazer sexo com mulheres. É uma possibilidade que ele não excluiu, até porque havia referências escriturísticas a anjos dotados de corpo... Deus determinou que a injustiça teria fim e que Ele a eliminaria para sempre quando finalmente fizesse uma intervenção direta nos assuntos cósmicos... Na história da teologia ocidental, convencionou-se usar 'Satanás' (ou às vezes 'Lúcifer') mais do que 'Diabo', como o nome próprio do líder dos demônios, e 'o Diabo' para descrever seu papel como o adversário tanto do homem quanto de Deus. Não importando se foi como Satanás ou como o Diabo, em torno de um século antes do início da Era Cristã, ele emergiu à luz da história como o príncipe dos demônios... Por ter sido criado com livre-arbítrio, a escolha de ser corrupto foi do Diabo. Teologicamente, a chave para o fato de o Diabo ter sido criado com livre-arbítrio e de o mal ser consequência do mau uso dele é que isso afasta de qualquer suposição de que o mal foi implantado 'por natureza' na criação do mundo e, portanto, pode ser atribuído à intenção divina... Foi o pecado da soberba que passou a dominar as explicações da causa da queda do Diabo, e ele se fixou como o pecado original... Não está claro se Orígenes acreditou que o Diabo seria salvo no final das contas. Por um lado, sua doutrina do livre-arbítrio exigiria que até o Diabo, se ele terminasse por escolher o bem, poderia, em consequência, obter a salvação. Por outro lado, Orígenes também pareceu crer que, pelo fato de o Diabo escolher continuamente o mal, ele ficara tão habituado a ele que, embora tivesse a escolha de fazer o bem, jamais desejaria fazer isso... Os anjos que ficaram firmes permaneceram na contemplação do seu Criador e não foram mais consumidos pela tentação. Eles estavam organizados em uma hierarquia de 9 graus descendentes: arcanjos, anjos, tronos, domínios, virtudes, principados, potestades, querubins e serafins. Os anjos, tanto os caídos quando os não caídos, podiam adotar corpos aéreos e ser visíveis aos humanos quando necessário. Satanás, por sua vez, podia disfarçar-se de anjo de luz... Encontramos embutida na primeira taxonomia ocidental da magia uma nova distinção no pensamento ocidental entre magia demoníaca e magia natural. A partir do século XII, essa distinção serviu de base para um novo conflito na história da interpretação ocidental da magia, que permaneceria sem solução pelos 600 anos subsequentes, até se tornar irrelevante pelo colapso tanto da magia quanto da demonologia. Trata-se do conflito entre os defensores da magia natural, os quais tentaram distingui-la da magia que explicitamente invoca o Diabo e seus demônios e procuraram encontrar um lugar para a magia natural dentro da corrente principal da teologia cristã, ou seja, aqueles que tentaram encontrar um lugar dentro do contexto cristão para uma forma não demoníaca de conjurar espíritos, e aqueles que acreditavam que o Diabo está envolvido em todas as práticas mágicas, sejam elas benevolentes ou malévolas, angelicais, demoníacas ou naturais... Conjuradores são aqueles que 'com sua arte demoníaca zombam dos sentidos humanos por meio de ilusões imaginativas de transformar uma coisa em outra'. Ele prossegue dizendo que os feiticeiros 'são aqueles que, com encantamentos demoníacos, amuletos ou qualquer outro tipo execrável de recursos, mediante a cooperação de diabos e mediante o instinto mau, realizam coisas perversas'... O juízo de Dante se derivou da tentativa de Escoto de diferenciar entre magia admissível e inadmissível. Assim, ele estava particularmente empenhado em distinguir astrologia (astronomia) de formas proibidas de magia e adivinhação, embora ele identificasse uma forma supersticiosa de astrologia (supeerstitiosa astronomia), na qual ele listou adivinhação a partir das letras do nome da pessoa e dos dias da lua, geomancia e feitiçaria... Esse empenho por distinguir magia natural da magia demoníaca foi motivado pela preocupação de que os textos que continham conhecimento legítimo pudessem ser condenados junto com os que eram ilicitamente demoníacos... A magia demoníaca levou a uma proliferação de nomes de demônios. No Manual de Munique reconhecemos Belial, Belzebu, Lúcifer e Satã, mas a maioria dos 189 demônios mencionados nominalmente não é familiar e possui uma ampla variedade de formas e funções. Assim, o ritual número 34 descreve a hierarquia, aparência e função de 11 espíritos chamados por nome. Há um rei, um príncipe e um senescal, mas também duques, condes, presidentes e marqueses. Eles aparecem em várias formas que frequentemente disfarçam sua aparência natural aterradora – um humano com grandes dentes e 3 chifres, um homem com face de leão com uma víbora na mão, um cavaleiro com lança, estandarte e cetro ou um cavalo preto, um menino com 2 cabeças e asas de anjo montado num dragão, uma mulher linda cavalgando um camelo, um homem com face de mulher. De modo similar, seus papéis são variados: revelar o passado, o presente, o futuro e assuntos ocultos, localizar tesouros escondidos, dar conhecimento sobre assuntos secretos, sobre o trivium, a astronomia e outras artes liberais e línguas, a buscar o amor de mulheres, a assegurar favores ou dignidades, a prover cavalheiros excelentes, a cruzar mares, rios ou regiões rapidamente e a conferir poder sobre serpentes... Tendo bebido de um copo, no qual o Diabo havia urinado, os membros da seita renunciavam às leis de Deus e – sua fé. Eles, então, voltavam seus traseiros nus para o céu para demonstrar seu desprezo por Deus, 'desenhando uma cruz no chão, cuspiam nela e a pisoteavam'. O Diabo, em forma de homem e de diferentes animais, recebia beijos na boca dos bruxos e das bruxas, que lhe ofereciam uma de suas crianças, que em seguida era sacrificada e depois exumada após o enterro. A gordura das crianças mortas era extraída e comida. 'Pós-misturados com o mijo do Diabo- e outros ingredientes venenosos eram preparados para matar seus inimigos. Com outras misturas eles impediam que mulheres concebessem, levavam homens à insanidade e faziam com que enlouquecessem de paixão sexual. A hóstia eucarística também era usada na bruxaria. Como vimos, a necromancia se referia à dominação dos demônios por meio do exercício de uma inteligência culta e da força de vontade. Assim, ela foi concebida como uma atividade predominantemente masculina. A bruxaria, em contrapartida, estava focada na subserviência e submissão a Satanás. Já que se tratavam de 'qualidades' percebidas como tipicamente femininas, os demonologistas logo imaginaram que as mulheres predominariam na nova seita de Satanás. Assim, muita tinta demonológica foi gasta na teorização da razão pela qual isso tinha de ser assim. Em contraste com Errores gazariorum e Tholosan, João Níder, também durante a década de 1430, foi a primeira pessoa a argumentar que as mulheres estavam predominantemente envolvidas na seita de Satanás. A ideia de que mulheres são mais suscetíveis a Satanás do que homens estivera embutida na narrativa da queda no Jardim do Éden desde o tempo em que a serpente foi identificada com o Diabo. Assim, por exemplo, João Stearne explicou a bruxaria como um fenômeno feminino, já que as mulheres se descontentam mais facilmente e são mais vingativas contra os homens desde que Satanás 'prevaleceu contra Eva'... Deixando de ser vítimas involuntárias de ataques satânicos, as bruxas passaram a ser participantes voluntárias no sexo satânico. Em consequência, a sexualidade feminina e o mal estavam intimamente ligados... Em 1523, o cético Apístio não conseguia entender por que o sexo com o Diabo era tão prazeroso. O juiz Dicasto respondeu que as bruxas alegavam que não havia prazer como esse sobre a terra e ele pensava que era por três razões: em primeiro lugar, porque os demônios assumiam um aspecto agradável; em segundo lugar, porque seus 'membros viris' eram de um tamanho fora do comum. Ele declarou: 'Com seu aspecto eles deliciavam os olhos e com seus membros eles preenchiam as partes mais secretas das bruxas'. Complementando, ele disse que os demônios fingem estar apaixonados por elas. Ele concluiu que provavelmente 'eles conseguem estimular alguma coisa muito profunda dentro das bruxas, que proporciona a essas mulheres um prazer maior do que o dos homens'... Nós pegamos bebês, especialmente aqueles que ainda não foram batizados, mas os batizados também. Com nossas cerimônias os matamos em seus berços ou enquanto estão deitados ao lado dos seus pais e, enquanto se pensa que eles morreram esmagados ou de alguma outra coisa, nós os roubamos secretamente de sua tumba e os cozinhamos em um caldeirão até que toda a carne se torne quase potável, depois de extraídos os ossos. Da matéria mais sólida fazemos uma massa adequada a nossos desejos e artes e movimentos durante o voo, e com o líquido que escorre enchemos um recipiente. Quem quer que beba desse recipiente imediatamente se torna um conhecedor, bastando acrescentar algumas poucas cerimônias, e ele se torna o chefe da nossa seita. Na passagem anterior, o assassinato de infantes e a viagem ao sabbat estão conectados. É a massa feita de infantes que magicamente capacita as bruxas a comparecerem ao encontro de bruxas. As bruxas faziam uma massa dos membros de crianças e, seguindo as instruções do Diabo, a esfregavam em um assento ou um pedaço de madeira. Então, elas eram imediatamente carregadas pelo ar de dia ou de noite, de modo visível e invisível. Ele alegou que, em outros casos, em vez de usar unguentos, a bruxa era transportada por meio de demônios com forma de animais, outras vezes meramente pelo poder invisível do Diabo... Exatamente do mesmo modo que as crianças dos pais que professam quando batizadas estavam em aliança com Deus, as crianças dos pais que fizeram uma aliança com Satanás estavam em aliança com o Diabo. Aquelas crianças que 'receberam sua marca e foram treinadas por esses pais no caminho da bruxaria e a praticaram podem com razão ser consideradas bruxas, formalmente constituídas como estando sob a aliança real com Satanás'... Se o demônio estiver na cabeça dele, ele [o endemoninhado] sente dores de cabeça agudíssimas. Se estiver nos seus olhos, ele [o Diabo] os retorce. Se estiver nas costas, ele machuca seus membros anteriores e posteriores. Se estiver nas partes nobres do corpo, como, por exemplo, no coração ou nos pulmões, ele provoca respiração ofegante, palpitação e síncope. Se estiver mais para o lado do estômago, ele provoca soluço e vômito, de modo que eles [os endemoninhados] às vezes não conseguem se alimentar ou, quando o fazem, não conseguem reter o alimento... Ao lado da histeria, a epilepsia também foi muitas vezes encarada como possível explicação natural para sintomas demoníacos... O diagnóstico de uma doença natural não implicava necessariamente a negação de um envolvimento demoníaco. A linha entre doença 'natural'e causa demoníaca não estava tão nitidamente traçada. Assim, para alguns, as doenças naturais em geral tinham uma causa demoníaca. Outros viam esses que sofriam de doenças naturais como bons candidatos para infecção pelo Diabo... A possessão demoníaca frequentemente também era associada à melancolia, igualmente uma enfermidade que cobria uma vasta gama de sintomas... A violência diabólica com frequência também era provocada pela presença de objetos e rituais sagrados. Quando residia dentro de católicos, o Diabo era especialmente sensível, não só à hóstia eucarística, mas também a relíquias, à água-benta, ao sinal da cruz e à Bíblia. Essas reações a objetos e rituais sagrados atestava a presença do demoníaco. Ironicamente, em sua resposta aos objetos cúlticos e rituais do catolicismo, o Diabo era visto como legitimador da doutrina e prática católicas contra as alegações espúrias do protestantismo. Em contrapartida, ainda de acordo com o leque mais limitado da parafernália cúltica e dos rituais protestantes, a reação do Diabo aos objetos e rituais protestantes era mais restrita. De sua parte, o Diabo estava claramente mais inclinado a certo tipo de ecumenismo do que a católicos ou protestantes – ele desprezava todos eles... O Diabo conhece toda ciência e toda arte e, por isso, é capaz de juntar uma coisa com a outra, porque todas as coisas têm de lhe obedecer no que concerne ao movimento local. E ele é capaz de fazer e de simular coisas maravilhosas. Naturalmente não estou dizendo que o Diabo seja capaz de realizar milagres verdadeiros, mas que ele é capaz de fazer coisas maravilhosas, entendendo por milagres verdadeiros propriamente as coisas que sabemos que estão acima ou fora da verdadeira ordem da natureza, tais como reviver um morto, criar algo a partir de nada ou devolver a visão ao cego e coisas como essas. Tais milagres somente Deus pode realizar... Na mente dos filósofos da natureza o Diabo perdeu valor intelectual em consequência do fim da relação entre maravilhas e agentes espirituais como causas delas; além disso, ele perdeu o controle quando as próprias maravilhas foram intelectualmente marginalizadas... Me apoio no mesmo fundamento da Escritura e da razão para provar que o império do Diabo não passa de uma quimera e que ele não tem nem o poder nem a administração que ordinariamente lhe são atribuídas... Satanás levava uma existência meramente 'espiritual' ou mesmo apenas metafórica dentro da mente humana... Para muitos cristãos, tanto protestantes quanto católicos, a existência do Diabo e sua capacidade de agir na história, na natureza e nas vidas humanas continua sendo uma explicação satisfatória do infortúnio natural e do sofrimento humano, atenuado pela convicção paradoxal de que, no final do dia, Satanás terá cumprido a vontade de Deus e que, no fim da história, ele será derrotado e eternamente punido por fazer isso..."

[MeriBeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intensive and extensive survey of the history of the Devil in Western thought, The Devil: A New Biography is geared more toward scholars and academics then the lay reader. It delves deep into the traditions surrounding the personification of evil from the earliest days to the eighteenth century. The author decides to end his 'biography' of the Devil at roughly 1700 as he claims that the Devil is no longer important after the development of more modern scientific thought and investigation. As with any book that deals with the Devil as source of evil, there is much in the way of traditional Christian theology in the book yet it also goes into the Jewish tradition of the ha-Satan, the Adversary, from which the Christian Devil developed with additions from the historic Pagan religions of Europe.

I will be frank, this book is a slog. It is often repetitive - especially when quoting sources from the King James Bible - and could use a bit of tightening up in the editing front. Yet, it is very much an academic book, a scholarly book, you have to be willing to deal with the almost lecturing tone of the writing, familiar to so many from higher level college textbooks, which can become very tedious and boring. Unlike many books I read and plan to review, this one took me forever to finish as I repeatedly set it aside just to let me brain recover from the weighty text. Also, with the history stopping in the eighteenth century, it seems unfinished as there is no attention paid to the transformation of witches and magic into children's characters nor to the more modern interpretations of the Devil despite the occasional appearance of quotations from films such as the Exorcist. Thus, if you are a religious scholar or a historian focused on the Witchcraft Persecutions, you might be interested in this book but the average reader is more likely to give up after a few pages as it is such a heavy and tedious read right from the start.

Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thorough if somewhat dry account of how the Devil as a literary and religious figure has evolved through human history: From ha-Satan, the angel tasked with judging and testing the faith of mortals in Judaism, over Semjaza the leader of the fallen angels during the "war in heaven" to the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. Until I read Philip C. Almond's book back in 2016, I myself had no idea whatsoever that it took a very long time before anyone drew parallels between the three figures mentioned above let alone considered them the same entity!

Then we have the chapters about mediaeval witch trials, which point out how much of the witch trials were done on the basis of complete guesswork, the inquisitors projecting their own prejudices onto the accused as well as assorted moral panics. The author has some amusing comments about how Wiccans and modern occultists attempt to reconstruct some lost suppressed occult practices that the witch trials' accusations might possibly be demonised versions of, forgetting to ask whether those even existed in the first place. Also valuable are the chapters about modern psychology's origins in Renaissance-era theological debates about whether demonic possession was even possible in the first place, demonic possession being pre-modern European cultures' standard explanation for the phenomena today known as epilepsy and schizophrenia.

As I mentioned above, "The Devil: A New Biography" might not be as engaging or entertaining a read as the cover art and subject matter imply. However, if you are interested in not just knowing how much basis popular depictions of the Devil, demons, Hell etc actually have in the Bible but also where they in fact came from instead this book can definitely be recommended.

[Michael Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The occasion for this book is the rising popularity of film, news accounts, and books about the influence the Devil has had and continues to have over human lives. The author emphasizes his contribution is a "new biography" of the Devil, taking into account the two thousand year history of that biography. A variety of topics are broached: the "birth" of the Devil, meaning his fall from God's court; the conflicts between the Devil and Jesus the Christ, with a special focus on how the Devil offers the Son of Man comfort if he will only bow down and worship said Devil; as the end of days approaches for each one of us, the Devil takes full advantage of his access to human communities. Notice how the Devil can be seen stalking convalescent hospitals, where the old and infirm are especially vulnerable to his terror laced diatribes. Many have seen and continue to see the Devil in Nancy Pelosi's refrigerator. Notice how the Devil does his work on the nation's highways and byways, causing endless suffering, decapitations, and death. Notice that when industrial furnaces are lit, the Devil can be seen laughing. Such furnaces are merely toys for inviting unwary spectators to their deaths. Notice how the Devil rejoices every time another lockdown occurs due to Covid-19.

[Mira · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: I had high hopes for this book when I first picked it up. I liked the idea. But, when I actually started reading the book I realised that the author only looks at the Devil through the lens of Christianity, which is nothing new to me. I know all these stories and theories. Not only those found in Christianity, but in all of the Abrahamic religions. And the book become tedious real fast, especially to someone who knows these stories and an atheist, such as myself.
A much better book on the subject would be History of the Devil by Paul Carus.

[Jane Butane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very interesting and I definitely want to do some further reading on this.
I thought the book was very well put together in terms of the timelines tying up with the different chapters.

My only problem was how quickly the author jumped around different quotes and references. I found myself rereading a lot of parts in order to work out what was being quoted.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical timeline of the concept of the devil/Satan and how he came to be, and how the idea of him, changes throughout history.

Philip C. Almond gives us a good history lesson on the concept of Satan and how this idea of "the adversary" evolved over time. From mistranslated words or half known phrases, the idea sprung into the minds of scholars and religious figures back in the day, and from that this notion took on a life of it's own. Almond provides a good timeline showing us how this came about, and how it gained notoriety from then on. He also explains the mess it creates in terms of religious theology, and Satan's role in the universe. For example, if god is all powerful, why would he create his own enemy, and why give him such power? There are many questions like this, and Almond kind of provides the theories of many scholars and historians to answer as best as possible.

The book is an easy read, but I think I could've used a bit more. I think Almond gives an overview of events and theories that would've been good to kind of delve a bit deeper into. Also, the book stops around the 1800/1900's and i think a chapter detailing what the Devil means to us nowadays would've been interesting and good way to end the book.

However, Almond does a good job of making this a biography of sorts, at least one that entertains in it's effort to simultaneously educate.

[Olaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read on how the view and use of the devil has been prominent in Western Culture. Almond succeeds in navigating the reader around the lot of different perspectives on the devil through the ages.

Ome minor point of critique:
It is suggested that there would also be a part about how the devil is represented in modern culture. The covertext and also the opening quote from the Exorcist movie suggest that a bit. This is not the case. This book shows the activity of the devil from his early conception in the Old Testament and his other 'fall' at the end of the eighteenth century, where his existence by intelectuals of that age is denied. This part is well-written and very interesting, so you should read this, but I think there could be an interesting follow-up to see more about the devil in modern culture.

[Daan Leysen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers certain parts of theology and history in-depth, but somehow glances over or omits other interesting parts and concludes with the Enlightenment’s “disenchantment” of the world. Nothing about the 1980s–90s Satanic Panic, LaVeyan Satanism, Luciferianism, Left-Hand Path, or other modern reimaginings of the devil as an atheistic symbol of rebellion, knowledge, inner freedom, etc.

Also would've liked to read more about the real-world practical consequences of Satanic ideologies throughout history, like how they were often weaponized/disguised forms of sexism or ways to overhaul the medical world in favor of Church-ordained, male-led medicine, etc.

In short: good, but perhaps not as broad in scope as I expected.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a far more academic writing than I'd expected. That said, as soon as I'd begun reading it as a backgrounder to contemporary superstitions and cultural ailments, it became a fascinating read.

The first third of the book reads like a seminary study, the second third feels like a compilation of the most bizarre accounts of witchcraft and demonology from the 13th century through the 18th, then the final third of the book is wonderfully philosophical and was, by far, my favorite part.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tracking of the idea of the Devil thru western history.

Will probably use this as a textbook for my History of Satan course, but wish he tracked fewer authors but with greater detail. Wish there were more discussion of depictions of the Devil in art. Would love a reader to pair with this.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history on the idea and concept of the devil from a Christian perspective, covers ideas of witchcraft, exorcism and the philosophical opposition that came about in the Enlightenment, ideas of rationalism, materialism etc. A good introduction to the subject from the various Christian perspectives.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Książka niezła i sprawnie napisana, ale raczej w sposób akademicki. Dla osób zainteresowanych tematem diabła, ale nie dla szukających taniej sensacji.

[Lewis Housley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information. Needs a good editor.

[Scott Holstad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Radically under impressed. Not recommended.

[James S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can you make this topic dry? Somehow this author does. Avoid.

[b e a c h g o t h · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 50 or so pages of this I LOVED and then, I dunno, it dropped off for me. More facts and facts than elegant non-fictional story telling.
Ugh.

[vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars)

[Dougie Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense academic style, but with some quite amusing detail

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almond's big provides a theological history of the devil, from its origins in Jewish traditions, through its evolution in Christianity, the the point that Christianity ceased to rely on the concept of Satan as the embodiment of evil. A core of the book focuses on early Christian discussions of the devil, and there are interesting discussions of the issue of free will: if the devil was created to be evil, then how an the idea be anything but the creation of a malevolent God? Almond discusses theological debates on this subject, as well as explanations for how the devil can be both punisher and punished. Another large portion of the book is taken up in the discussion of witchcraft in the middle ages, and the manner in which the devil was increasingly seen to be re-entering the world through witches and warlocks. The book finishes with a brief discussion of how the world became demystified with the enlightenment and renaissance, and society no longer relied on the Devil as a concept. Although certainly an interesting book, I don't feel the book does exactly what it claims to at the outset. The book begins with a quote from The Exorcist, and I had assumed the book would look at concepts of the devil across religions and time periods, rather than focusing only on early Christianity and the Middle Ages. I found that to be a bit disappointing, but still, the book is well written and obviously well researched. However it is written more for students of theology than those (like me!) with a bit more of a passing interest in the subject.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received from NetGalley

Whew - this is not an easy read! I now know the true meaning of "exhaustively researched". Since I am not an academic, I will only be able to review this from the point-of-view of the UNintended audience.

The first 30% was a bit of work for me to navigate. After moving into the witch hysteria of the Middle Ages, the author's style seeped in, and while perhaps not his intention in this scholarly work, made it more readable for me. Likewise, the author does provide as sense of security that his information is unbiased - as much as it can be for a topics such as faith and interpretation.

I noticed lots of repetition, that seemed to easily fixable with some tighter editing. Also, after facing pages of quotes from the King James Bible and various other archaic writings, occasional paraphrasing could have gone a long way.

I'm glad I stuck it out, since I gained quite a bit of knowledge of Catholicism and the machinations that run the big show.

[Ryan Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that details the historical evolution of thinking about the devil within a Christian framework. I found the early chapters most interesting as they dealt with a lot of theological ideas around how the devil was created and his role in history. The middle section was less satisfying as it devolved into a detailed, almost fetishistic account of whether or how the devil could have sex with humans, complete with details about the characteristics of the devil's genitals and accounts (obtained through torture of women accused of being witches) of sexual rites and rituals. Although the graphic nature of this section underscores in some ways the utter misogyny and perversion of the sex-focused witchhunts, it still felt overly graphic and sensationalistic. The final chapters on the evolution of thinking regarding the apocalypse and the end of the devil's role in history were also interesting.

[Drew Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Demons, devils, and other hellish creatures are central to the Halloween season. You could read The Devil: A New Biography any time, but when I saw it on the shelf at my local library, I thought now was as good a time as any. That said, there’s never a good time to read this book. It has nothing to do with the subject from a religious point of view, and everything to do with the book itself. I wasn’t certain what I would get, but I had a few expectations. Unfortunately, I’m adding this book to the “so bad I couldn’t finish” shelf. I have my reasons, and here they are...

To read the rest of this review go to https://drewmartinwrites.wordpress.co...

[Axel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As many other reviews state, this book has a tendency of being on the edge of overly repetitive at times. However, the insight it detailed gives about the lores and smaller stories put inside the first books of the Bible, stories such as the ones from Kasper etc. give a great and fresh interest in further studying of the history of Christianity and older Jewish history. I recommend this book to the reader with an interest in religion and history, and dares themselves to explore the more cult filled parts of Christianity, and it's roles in medieval times. From the story of the old Israel to the many pseudonyms of the angel we today know as the Devil. An excellent read.